Flue construction for steam-carriages.



Patented Sept. 2, I902.

dmi'iff I J. H. BULLARD.

FLUE CONSTRUCTION FOR STEAM CAR R IAGES.

(Application filed Nov. 8, 1900.) (No Model.)

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"Human Sterne ATENT @l l ltlt JAMES H. BULLARD, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OVERMAN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY, OF CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION.

FLU E CONSTRUCTION FOR STEAM-CARRIAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 708,460, dated September 2, 1902. Application filed November 8, 1900. Serial No- 35,850. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. BULLARD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, in the county of I-Iampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented:

and arrangement of draft-fines for the boiler through which the products of combustion from the burner used to heat the boiler pass out into the open air, the object of the invention being to prevent back draft down through the boiler-fines to the burner, whereby the flame of the latter is not infrequently extinguished or prevented from burning properly. In vehicles of this type as heretofore constructed it has been customary to inclose the top of the boiler with a hood, from which an extension was taken to the rear of the vehicle and generally turned up and passed through the top of the vehicle-body close to its rear end. When thus disposed, a cross wind or a following wind will frequently cause a back draft to occur, as above described, and if not of sufficient strength to cause a back draft will frequently cause a cessation of upward draft, which amounts to the same thing as far as the perfect combustion of fuel by the burner is concerned. I obviate these defects by the construction of the draft-fines, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a steam-propelled motor-vehicle having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same on line 2 2, Fig. 1.

The body of the wagon is indicated by a and the engine by I). From this engine power may be transmitted to the driving-axle by a suitable transmission device, as a sprocketand-chain connection.

The boiler is designated by c, which together with the engine may be supported in the body of the vehicle in any suitable manner. Supported on the lower end of the boiler is a burner d, which may be of any one of a number of different types adapted to burn gaseous or liquid fuel. The one shown herein consists of a shallow cylindrical burnerbody of substantially the same shape and dimension as the bottom of the boiler, said body constituting a gas-chamber through the top and bottom plates of which flues e extend, whereby air may pass through the burner into the closed combustion chamber f between the burner and boiler and from thence upward through the fines g of the latter. Apertures for the escape of the gas around the upper ends of the air-fines care provided, as shown in United States Letters Patent issued jointly to Albert H. Overman and myself on April 24, 1900, No. 648,286. Above the boiler and inclosing the top thereof is a hood h, from which two branches c extend toward each side of the vehicle and through which products of combustion from the burner which enter the hood h may pass out to the atmosphere. The enlarged part of said hood, coverin g substantially the entire top of the boiler, is shaped like the latter, and the flue branches *1) extend outwardly therefrom from that portion of the hood lying toward the rear of the boiler. A portion of the hood it extends out beyond the forward edge of the top of the boiler and substantially on a longitudinal center line thereof, and from this hood projection a flue j extends downward between the boiler and the engine and receives from the latter exhaust-steam through the exhaustpipe is, which enters said flue and is downwardly turned therein. The escape of exhaust-steam into said downturned fluej will induce more or less forced draft upward through the burner and the boiler-fines. The outer ends of the flue branches t' are preferably covered by pieces of wire-gauze Z, which not only give a better finish to the sides of the wagon, but prevent the entrance of any substances into the flue.

It is not essential that the fines t' should be located in the exact position shown in the drawings. The distance of these flues to the rear of the center of the boiler may be varied as desired; but the downwardly-discharging flue j should always be located, as shown in the drawings, forward of the boiler. By this means the boiler receives the benefit of whatever heat may be contained in the products of combustion or exhaust-steam passing therethrough.

By means of the above-described construction it is seen that the outlet ends of the flue branches i will be protected against the blanketing efiect of a following wind, and any draft of air due to a cross-wind which might enter one of said flue branches would pass therethrough and find exit through the opposite branch thereof without interfering with the natural updraft through the burner and boiler. The disposition of the downdraft-fine y at the front of the boiler effects the discharge of the exhaust at a point well under the vehicle, whereby it may become practically dissipated before it is clear from the body of the vehicle. Furthermore, a part of the exhaust-steam will be drawn in through the burner, and thus dissipated without det riment to the combustion of the fuel.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a vehicle of the class described, a steam-boiler, a burner for heating it, a hood inclosing the upper end of the boiler forreceiving the products of combustion from the burner, said flue having substantially horizontal divergent branches, which are provided with outlets to the atmosphere and are arranged on either side of said hood to the rear of the center of the boiler, said branches together forminga through-passage for disposing of atmospheric currents which might otherwise reverse or check the normal draft of the burner, in combination with a flue downwardly extending from that part of the hood lying at the front of the boiler; and an exhaust-pipe from the engine entering said flue and downwardly turned therein, substantially as described.

2. In a vehicle of the class described, a steam-boiler, a burner for heating it, a hood inclosing the upper end of the boiler for receiving the products of combustion from the burner, a flue for disposing. of the products of combustion connected with that portion of the hood at the front end of the boiler, and extending downward to a point beneath the body of the vehicle, and an exhaust-pipe from the engine entering said flue and downwardly turned therein, substantially as described. JAMES H. BULLARD. Witnesses:

WM. H. OHAPIN, K. I. OLEMoNs. 

